This invention relates to the treatment of inflammations of the surface tissues of the eye ("red eye") and more particularly to treatment of the ocular tissues by administering thereto anti-inflammatory effective amounts of antagonists for H.sub.2 receptors.
Reddening or inflammation of the superficial tissues of the eye is a relatively common affliction since it usually accompanies various allergic reactions, such as hay fever allergies and the like, foreign body irritation in the eye, or eye fatigue. Such superficial conjunctival redness is generally the result of ciliary flush, dilation of the deep straight vessels of the episclera, and dilation of the superficial vessels of the conjunctiva.
Various types of palliative treatments have been used to treat this condition, but the most common treatment includes the administration of eye drops which contain emollients and other ingredients designed to ease the discomfort due to the inflammation and to eliminate the redness associated with the condition. Such prior treatments have not been entirely satisfactory, possibly due to the fact that the underlying causes of the dilation of the ocular blood vessels have not been completely understood, and no truly rational treatment of the condition has been previously proposed.
Recently, evidence has been discovered regarding the role of histamine in producing red eye. M. B. Abelson, et al., "Histamine and the Eye", in Immunology and Immunopathology of the Eye, A. M. Silverstein and G. R. O'Connor, Eds., Masson Publishing USA, Inc., 1979, pp. 362-364, have shown that histamine can produce the symptoms of redness and itching associated with ocular allergy. M. B. Abelson, et al., Am. J. Ophthalmology, 1977, Vol. 83, pp. 417-418, discloses that the tears of individuals afflicted with vernal conjunctivitis contain more histamine than the tears of normal individuals. However, there has been no suggestion in these publications that antagonists for H.sub.2 receptors may be used in treating red eye.
Thus, a need has continued to exist for a simple, rational, and effective treatment for inflammation of superficial ocular tissue.